MA IN Ministry
36 credit hours / 2–3 years
Why study Ministry at TEDS?
Your MA in Ministry specialization is unique to your current ministry context in a local church, parachurch, or other church-related ministry. Our broadly evangelical heritage and rich pool of experienced faculty, combined with the flexibility to focus your program very specifically, make the MA in Ministry an excellent way to grow in wise stewardship of the ministry God’s given you.
WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR
ADMISSION TO THIS PROGRAM?
Besides the requirements for general admission, you’ll want to be aware of the following basic prerequisites (see full prerequisites for more explanation):
- You’ll need an accredited baccalaureate degree;
- Your GPA must be at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (though there can be exceptions);
- You’ll need to have taken courses in Old Testament, New Testament, and theology;
- We’ll ask for a personal ministry statement, a formal pastoral or ministry supervisor letter of recommendation, and we may request an interview.
WHAT WILL I STUDY?
Courses you will take include the following:
A minimum of one course (2 hours) each in Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, and History.
A minimum of four courses in ministry application, two of which (6 hours total) must be in a particular area of ministry specialization that provides a foundation for the capstone integrative experience.
Required: PT 5000 Personal Assessment and Ministry Orientation
*Areas of Ministry Specialization recently completed by MA in Ministry graduates or current students include those below. These areas and courses are suggested and may vary according to the needs of the student and availability of courses. While 6 hours in a Specialization are required, 6-9 additional hours plus the Capstone Experience enable a student to complete as many as 14 or more semester hours in the Specialization. Course work is also available through cross-registration into other seminaries in the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS) consortium. Consult your advisor for course recommendations.
| Course | Title | Credits |
| ID 7465 | MA in Min Capstone Experience | 3–6 hours |
A ministry-based experience that integrates the biblical/theological/historical with the ministry practice and context components of the program and provides the capacity for further specialized service in the church (ID 7465). This intensive experience may be a practicum or a project and (for 3 semester hours) will reflect a minimum of 168 hours (12 hr/wk for 14 wks) of experiential learning and be accompanied by a 7,500-to-10,000-word (25-30 page) critical analysis paper demonstrating integration of program components with the area of ministry specialization.
Field Education
All MA in Ministry students must fulfill field education requirements. Learn more about field ed here.
Ministry Specialization
The Areas of Ministry Specialization listed below are four potential tracks for the MA in Ministry programs. These areas of ministry specialization and the courses listed in each area are suggested and may vary according to the needs of the students and availability of courses.
Students desiring to cultivate their preaching and teaching gifts in the context of the local church can pursue a preaching and teaching focus. Recommended courses include the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| EM 5125 | Teaching and Learning | 2–3 hours |
| HM 5000 | Theology and Methodology of Biblical Preaching |
1 hour |
| HM 6610 | Preaching Narrative | 1 hour |
| HM 6620 | Preaching Poetry and Prophecy | 2 hours |
| HM 7210 | Expository Preaching of a Biblical Book | 2 hours |
| HM 7400 | Seminar: History of Preaching | 2 hours |
| HM 8000 | Seminar: Current Issues | 1–3 hours |
| ME 8215 | Teaching Across Cultures | 3 hours |
| NT 6600 | Preaching from the New Testament | 1 hour |
| OT 6600 | Preaching from the Old Testament | 1 hour |
Students interested in pursuing spiritual formation, equipping others in spiritual formation, and providing pastoral care can pursue a spiritual formation and pastoral care focus. Recommended courses include the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| CM 5000 | Intro to Counseling Ministries | 2 hours |
| CM 6572 | Pastoral Counseling for Marriage & Family | 3 hours |
| DE 5740 | Spiritual Formation | 3 hours |
| EM 5000 | Foundations in Educational Ministry | 2–3 hours |
| EM 5510 | Christian Formation & Journey | 2 hours |
| EM 6275 | Developing Healthy Spiritual Leaders | 2–3 hours |
| EM 6000 | Current Topics in Educational Ministries (suggested topics: Adolescent Spirituality OR Marriage Enrichment) | 1–3 hours |
Students committed to cultural engagement, multi-ethnic ministry, and/or engaging a diverse world for the sake of the gospel can pursue a cultural engagement focus. Recommended courses include the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| CC 5610 | Cultural Hermeneutics | 2 hours |
| CC 5615 | Cultural Engagement | 3 hours |
| HM 8000 | Seminar: Current Issues (topic: Preaching and Culture) |
1–3 hours |
| ME 7710 | Contextualization | 3–4 hours |
| ME 8210 | Intercultural Communications | 3–4 hours |
| ME 8215 | Teaching Across Cultures | 3 hours |
| ME 9085 | Global Migration and Diaspora of Faith Communities |
3 hours |
| PT 7842 | Understanding the Urban World | 2 hours |
| PT 7860 | Social & Cultural Exegesis | 2–3 hours |
| ST 6011 | Global Theologies | 2 hours |
Students with backgrounds or interests in organizational leadership can pursue a leadership focus. Recommended courses include the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| CM 6000 | Issues in Counseling Ministries, Issues in Counseling Ministry | 1–3 hours |
| EM 5000 | Foundations in Educational Ministry | 2–3 hours |
| EM 5210 | Christian Leadership and Administration | 2–3 hours |
| EM 6265 | Building Ministry Teams | 2–3 hours |
| EM 6270 | Building Community in the Church | 2–3 hours |
| ME 5001 | Foundations of Evangelism | 2 hours |
| ME 6963 | Principles of Discipleship | 3 hours |
| OT 6000 | Current Studies in Old Testament | 1–3 hours |
| PT 7210 | Pastoral Practices | 2–3 hours |
| PT 7220 | Pastoral Leadership | 2–3 hours |
| PT 7225 |
The Essence of Biblical Leadership | 2 hours |
| PT 7410 | Denominational History & Polity | 1 hour |
| PT 8000 | Current Issues (topic: Essence of Biblical Leadership) |
2–3 hours |
| ST 5200 | Christian Ethics | 3 hours |
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